Preview 2024 Wimbledon Men's Final as Carlos Alcaraz meets Novak Djokovic again in ultimate showdown
ATPSunday, 14 July 2024 at 15:14
The big match is upon us at 2024 Wimbledon as Carlos Alcaraz again faces Novak Djokovic in the final of the grass court major. But will it be repeat or revenge at SW19 on Sunday afternoon.
Our preview takes you through all of the important info ahead of the final with their run-in, head to head, ranking scenarios and history on the previous winners and final.
On a day in which England face Spain in Euro 2024, Alcaraz in particular will hope much to the crowd's hilarious behest during his semi-final win to make it a golden day for his country. Or if Djokovic and England win, it will be the opposite.
Djokovic defies belief (but do we expect anything else?)
A lot of reports pre tournament pointed towards Novak Djokovic not even making it to the start line so to speak at Wimbledon no mind playing his part in the tournament and getting to the final. But truth betold, it is befitting with the legend of the Serbian that he has cultivated such a run and looked effortless and also shaky at times.
His first final ironically of 2024 has come at a time when he should be recuperating after a meniscus tear so the fact he is here in the first place is truly special and remarkable. He also will want to shut doubters up as has become his theme. Number 25 looms and it could be the sweetest yet. He could also tie Roger Federer for wins at Wimbledon with eight in all and finally reach another milestone.
But rubbing it in the face of a crowd who have not been too receptive of Djokovic this tournament will also be top of his list. He has stated almost a chip on his shoulder you pay to see me kind of viewpoint in that he got himself right quicker than expected to be booed and heckled. In particular, it blew up during his match against Holger Rune.
Novak Djokovic has jostled with the crowd more than players this tournament.
A moment that will go down in Wimbledon folklore is the now infamous goooood night speech with the fans reported to have said Ruuune but Djokovic was having absolutely none of it. He also played his violin twice as well albeit the second time he got booed by the fans despite it being a gesture towards his daughter. So they will certainly want Alcaraz to win.
But he has both faced adversity and a pretty simple run through. Vit Kopriva, Alexei Popyrin and Holger Rune in particular offered no resolve. Jacob Fearnley probably came closest to troubling him early. But like all great sportsman, if you don't get him early you don't get him at all and that very much rings true. Lorenzo Musetti also played great but no dice as he made his way through only losing sets to Popyrin and Fearnley.
Awesome Alcaraz defends title
Carlos Alcaraz on the other hand has not had it easy but it is kind of a hallmark of his game at this point finding the key moments to strike. Wins over Mark Lajal and Aleksandar Vukic first before his skin saver against Frances Tiafoe. That was his real test. He lost sets then to Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev but managed to rally each time to move through.
After winning Roland Garros, he lost to Jack Draper at Queen's so the question was whether he could shake his post Ibiza blues and find a will to win again and he has certainly done that in spades. It showed that warm-up tournaments mostly don't mean too much in the grand scheme of things. Unless you do like Alcaraz last year and win the title from winning Queen's. But his pedigree on grass back then wasn't certain it now was.
He could join a select group to do both in terms of winning Roland Garros then Wimbledon and also back-to-back Wimbledon titles. Who could bet against another big win for Alcaraz.
Head to Head wise, Novak Djokovic leads 3-2. He won the last two meetings to go ahead in the H2H. He won at the ATP Finals when Alcaraz was off form and when the Spaniard fell off a cliff at Cincinnati since the Wimbledon final last year. So it is very much anybody's tie come Sunday. On a day of exceptional sport, Alcaraz v Djokovic joins them. What a match it is.
Carlos Alcaraz returns to the site of his epic win 12 months ago.
Ranking Scenarios ahead of Final
Going into the final of 2024 Men's Wimbledon, neither player can move up in the rankings but they can stretch their leads over each other and those around them.
Jannik Sinner could be sweating during the American hard court swing. He sits on 9570 points currently and lost 320 during Wimbledon. Djokovic will at maximum claim 9,160 points.
While Alcaraz will merely defend his haul. He could be on 8,130 by the time the tournament concludes. So very much either Djokovic goes onto the coattails of Sinner or Alcaraz does to Djokovic.
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | 22 | ITA | 9570 | |
| 2 | Novak Djoković | 37 | SRB | 8460 | |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | ESP | 7430 | |
| 4 | Alexander Zverev | 27 | GER | 7015 | |
| 5 | Daniil Medvedev | 28 | RUS | 6525 | |
| 6 | Alex de Minaur | 25 | AUS | 4185 | 3 |
| 7 | Hubert Hurkacz | 27 | POL | 4105 | |
| 8 | Andrey Rublev | 26 | RUS | 4070 | -2 |
| 9 | Casper Ruud | 25 | NOR | 4030 | -1 |
| 10 | Grigor Dimitrov | 33 | BUL | 3770 | |
| 11 | Taylor Fritz | 26 | USA | 3705 | 1 |
| 12 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 25 | GRE | 3615 | -1 |
| 13 | Tommy Paul | 27 | USA | 3410 | |
| 14 | Ben Shelton | 21 | USA | 2750 | |
| 15 | Ugo Humbert | 26 | FRA | 2490 | 1 |
| 16 | Lorenzo Musetti | 22 | ITA | 2330 | 9 |
| 17 | Holger Rune | 21 | DEN | 2210 | -2 |
| 18 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | 23 | CAN | 2075 | -1 |
| 19 | Sebastián Báez | 23 | ARG | 2020 | -1 |
| 20 | Alejandro Tabilo | 27 | CHI | 1918 | -1 |
| 21 | Karen Khachanov | 28 | RUS | 1830 | 1 |
| 22 | Sebastian Korda | 24 | USA | 1795 | -1 |
| 23 | Nicolás Jarry | 28 | CHI | 1745 | -3 |
| 24 | Alexander Bublik | 27 | KAZ | 1650 | -1 |
| 25 | Adrian Mannarino | 36 | FRA | 1590 | -1 |
Quotes from both ahead of Final
Carlos Alcaraz: “Winning Grand Slams is difficult. Obviously changing from clay to a grass court, totally different surfaces, totally different game of play. Let's say I'm going to try. Obviously I want to put my name on that short list to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. I know that's going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I'm ready to do it."
“Obviously everybody knows Djokovic. He has played multiple Grand Slam finals, has won a lot of them. Last year it was a really difficult match. He put me in real trouble, I'm going to say. I know how it's going to feel playing against Djokovic. I've played few times in Grand Slams, finals of Masters 1000 multiple times against him. I know what I have to do. I'm sure he knows what he has to do to beat me. It's going to be a really interesting one.”
Novak Djokovic: “He already beat me here in a thrilling five-setter. I don’t expect anything less than that. A huge battle on the court. He is as complete a player as they come, so it is going to take the best of my abilities on the court overall to beat him on Sunday.”
“He is a great example of a young player who has a well-balanced life on and off the court. Great team of people. Great values in his family. A lot of charisma and carries himself well on and off the court with a smile. That is why people like him and he is deservedly one of the greatest 21 year olds we have ever seen in this sport. We are going to see a lot of him in the future no doubt. He is going to win many more Grand Slams, but hopefully [on Sunday] maybe not this one.”
Wimbledon Men's Singles Winners and Finals (2010-2023)
- 2023: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic (1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4)
- 2022: Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3))
- 2021: Novak Djokovic defeated Matteo Berrettini (6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3)
- 2020: Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
- 2019: Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer (7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3))
- 2018: Novak Djokovic defeated Kevin Anderson (6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3))
- 2017: Roger Federer defeated Marin Čilić (6-3, 6-1, 6-4)
- 2016: Andy Murray defeated Milos Raonic (6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2))
- 2015: Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer (7-6(1), 6-7(10), 6-4, 6-3)
- 2014: Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer (6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4)
- 2013: Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic (6-4, 7-5, 6-4)
- 2012: Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray (4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4)
- 2011: Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal (6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3)
- 2010: Rafael Nadal defeated Tomáš Berdych (6-3, 7-5, 6-4)
Summary of Previous Winners
- Carlos Alcaraz: Alcaraz's victory in 2023 was a major breakthrough, ending Djokovic's long reign and showcasing the potential of the next generation.
- Novak Djokovic: A dominant force at Wimbledon, Djokovic secured multiple titles, including back-to-back wins from 2018 to 2022, and further establishing his legacy as one of the greatest players in tennis history.
- Roger Federer: Known for his elegance and skill on grass courts, Federer won his last Wimbledon title in 2017. His finals against Djokovic and Nadal are some of the most memorable in tennis history.
- Andy Murray: A home favorite, Murray's victories in 2013 and 2016 were historic for British tennis, ending long droughts for British men in the sport.
- Rafael Nadal: Although more known for his dominance on clay, Nadal has shown his versatility with wins at Wimbledon, including his 2010 victory.
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